The Bristol owner of five websites deemed “abusive” by the tax man has been ordered to give them up.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customers (HMRC) complained to an independent watchdog that five internet domain names registered by Sarah Ibberton, of Stackpool Road in Southville, could be confused with the government department.

The 60-year-old was the owner of online-hmrc-tax-refund-gov.co.uk; online-hmric-gov.co.uk; online-hmric-gov.uk; onllne-hmrc-gov.uk; ssl-hmrc-gov.co.uk

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has won control of the domain names

Justin Rawkins, a domain name expert who sat in the judgement, described the websites as “abusive” because of their similarity to HMRC’s official address online.hmrc.gov.uk

He said in his decision the tax man had, to his satisfaction, “shown rights in respect of a name or mark which is identical or similar to the domain names” and had shown the names registered by Ms Ibbertson registration of the names “are abusive registrations.”

“The domain names will therefore be transferred to the complainant (HMRC)” he said.